Uttarakhand bans 'Kedarnath' in 7 districts

Districts, where there are no multiplexes or cinema halls like Chamoli, Uttarkashi, Pithoragarh, Bageshwar, Champawat and Rudraparayag, have been left out of the ambit of the ban, he said. (Image Credit: Twitter)

There is a ban on the film in seven districts of Uttarakhand where Hinduoutfits have protested the film burning effigies of film-makers and the Central Board of Film Certification, ADG (law and order) Ashok Kumar told PTI on Friday.

The decision has been taken by District Magistrates concerned to maintain law and order in their areas, he said.

The districts where the film has been banned are Dehradun, Haridwar, Nainital, Udham Singh Nagar, Pauri, Tehri and Almora, the ADG said.

Districts, where there are no multiplexes or cinema halls like Chamoli, Uttarkashi, Pithoragarh, Bageshwar, Champawat and Rudraparayag, have been left out of the ambit of the ban, he said.

The ban was imposed by DMs concerned after the Uttarakhand High Court, while dismissing a PIL seeking a ban on it on Thursday, left it to the discretion of the state government and district administrations.

Hindu outfits like the VHP, Hindu Yuva Vahini, Bajrang Dal and Hindu Jagran Manch tore posters of the film and burnt effigies of its makers at different places in Uttarakhand on Thursday evening, saying it was hurting Hindu sentiments.

Hindu outfits have accused the film of treating lightly a human tragedy of such magnitude by using a centre of Hindu faith like Kedarnath to depict the love story of a Muslim porter and a Hindu pilgrim.